Abuja — Nigerian youths yesterday expressed displeasure with President Umaru Yar'Adua for allegedly shunning the 3rd African Youth Day celebration.

Speaking at the celebration which held in Abuja, the youths said President Yar'Adua is unperturbed about their situation.

"The youths of this nation have always wanted to speak with Mr. President and he earlier agreed and approved that he was going to be here today (yesterday) to discuss the way forward with us, but along the line, we don't know what happened. We were not communicated and he did not send his second or somebody who can reliably take his place.

"The Minister of youth development himself was not here. This action explains that the leaders do not have the interest of the youths at heart. It is only in this country that leaders find it difficult to face the youths," speaker of the youth parliament, Luke Onofioke said.

He stated that the youths would have loved to see the President and not his representative.

"We would have loved to speak with our President, discuss our challenges with him. That is why you see the youths clamoring that he must be present in next year's celebration if he really has the youths at heart. The event of today (yesterday) cannot be said to be a success because there is no adequate planning from the side of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development. Much is still needed to be done," he said.

Meanwhile, Yar'Adua who was represented at the event by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, Mr. Danladi Kifasi said his administration is committed to providing the enabling environment for Nigerian youth to actualise their potentials to facilitate stability and achieve economic growth.

Speaking on the theme of this year's event tagged "Productive Youth for Stability and Economic Development", Yar'Adua said the theme is aimed at addressing the peculiar challenges which confront the African continent.

"With our focus on human capital development as one of the pillars of the seven-point agenda, it is expected that the creative, productive and vibrant youth of Nigeria will be the veritable drivers of sustained growth and development in our march towards Vision 20-2020. My administration recognises the noble roles which the youth of this nation have played in the developmental history of Nigeria. This is worthy of acknowledgment and celebration," he said.

November 1 was declared as the African Youth Day during the 7th Ordinary Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union (CAU).

However, the period of 2009-2018 had also been declared the Decade of Youth Development in Africa by the Executive Council of AU.